” The Ebola epidemic is spreading rapidly in Sierra Leone’s densely packed capital — and it may already be far worse than the authorities acknowledge.

Since the beginning of the outbreak more than six months ago, the Sierra Leone Health Ministry reported only 10 confirmed Ebola deaths here in Freetown, the capital of more than one million people, and its suburbs as of Sunday — a hopeful sign that this city, unlike the capital of neighboring Liberia, had been relatively spared the ravages of the outbreak.

But the bodies pouring in to the graveyard tell a different story. In the last eight days alone, 110 Ebola victims have been buried at King Tom Cemetery, according to the supervisor, Abdul Rahman Parker, suggesting an outbreak that is much more deadly than either the government or international health officials have announced.

“ I’m working with the burial team, and the first question I ask them is, ‘Are they Ebola-positive?’ ” said Mr. Parker, adding that the figures were based on medical certificates that he had seen himself. The deaths are carefully recorded by name and date in a notebook headed “Ebola Burials.” “

” For most of the last decade, Candice Anderson has carried unspeakable guilt over the death of her boyfriend. He was killed in 2004 in a car accident here, and she was at the wheel. At one point, Ms. Anderson, who had a trace of Xanax in her blood, even faced a manslaughter charge. She was 21.

All these years, Ms. Anderson — now engaged and a mother — has been a devoted visitor to his grave. She tidies it every season, sweeping away leaves and setting down blue daisies with gold glitter for his birthday, miniature lit trees for Christmas, stones with etched sayings for the anniversary of their accident.

“ It’s torn me up,” Ms. Anderson said of the death of Gene Mikale Erickson. “I’ve always wondered, was it really my fault?”

While this scandalous behavior on the part of GM began long before the government became the major shareholder , it demonstrates most succinctly that once the Feds became a partner of this private corporation and had a vested interest in the success and/or failure of that particular corporation that it abdicated it’s primary function as a watchdog of the public’s interests .

” After watching this i am sure you will have tears in your eyes … PLEASE DRIVE SAFE not only for you but for the people who love you … ”

This is one of the most horrifying videos I have ever seen . Real of fake is of no consequence when watches this because it is happening on a regular basis . It is very easy to take the convenience of the automobile for granted and in doing so leave ourselves open to becoming victims . Watch this and give pause the next time you and your loved ones get in the car .

” A new study fromEmory University researchers looked at federal surveys and states that legalized medical marijuana to evaluate the impact of legalization on marijuana and other drug use. Researchers found medical marijuana legalization led adults 21 and older to use more marijuana, but the increase did not lead people to try harder drugs.

The study has several implications for states that are considering whether to legalize marijuana for recreational or medical purposes. For one, it suggests relaxed marijuana laws can lead to more regular marijuana use, although not among teenagers. But the study also indicates that marijuana use might not be as dangerous as some critics of the drug fear.”

Some facts about marijuana versus other drugs , legal and otherwise …

” Marijuana is safe relative to other (already legal) drugs, such as alcohol and tobacco. But research shows marijuana could carry some health risks, particularly for teenagers and children.

An American Scientist analysis measured the toxicity of several drugs, comparing a drug’s effective dose — the threshold for a drug’s desired effect — to a drug’s fatal dose. Heroin’s fatal dose was five times its effective dose, alcohol’s was 10, and cocaine’s was 15. Marijuana’s was more than 1,000 (when ingested). So it takes a lot more to die from marijuana than it does to die from heroin, alcohol, or cocaine.”

” The Black Forest wildfire has become the most destructive in Colorado history, burning at least 360 homes, officials said Thursday.

The fire is about 10 miles east of last year’s Waldo Canyon fire, which had been the state’s most destructive after killing two people and wiping out 346 homes.

No injuries have been reported from the Black Forest fire, but one person is believed to be missing in the blaze — one of four in the state. Officials said the cause is still undetermined for the Black Forest fire, which was reported about 1 p.m. on Tuesday.”

There are now reports of fatalities from the fire .

UPDATE : The map is now hot-linked back to the original PDF to allow users to click , enlarge and obtain updates on their own . We apologize for forgetting to link it in the wee hours of this morning .

We should also have included a HT to Michelle Morin for the link . Again we apologize . Michelle lives in the area and her Facebook page has many news items , photos and videos , both personal and commercial on the fire and it’s devastation . Check her out and give her a like .

” Rescuers were conducting another door-to-door search early Thursday for the living and the dead in areas damaged by a massive fertilizer plant explosion in West that left more than 100 injured and may have killed dozens.

As of 4:45, officials say five to fifteen people are believed to be dead.Six firefighters and two paramedics are confirmed dead and seven nursing home residents were missing after the blast according to West EMS Director Dr. George Smith, who said earlier Wednesday night as many as 60 or 70 people may have died in the blast.

” Two bombs struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing two people and injuring at least 28.

The explosions sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square, turning a site of celebration into a mess of destruction.

“It felt like a huge cannon,” a witness told CNN about one of the blasts.

Authorities in Boston have found other explosive devices that they were working to dismantle, a federal law enforcement source told CNN. The devices were “low flashpoint,” and did not appear to have shrapnel inside them, the source said.

It was unclear who may have planted the bombs. There were no credible threats before the race, a state government official said.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lenox Hotel was evacuated, the Boston Globe reported, as authorities looked into possible security concerns.

Massachusetts General Hospital said it was treating 19 injured people, six of them in critical condition. Tufts Medical Center reported that it was treating nine people. Combined, that brings the number of injured to at least 28. Police reported 22 people injured.”

Yosemite is synonymous with
stunning natural settings and a
chance to get away from it all. But in the past few weeks, Yosemite has attracted unwanted attention after a Hantavirus outbreak in the park.

So far, eight Yosemite visitors are
confirmed to have contracted the virus,with three dead of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome—a variation of Hantavirus that’s not communicable between humans, but which can be transmitted to humans through contact with excrement, saliva, or urine from infected mice. The National Park Service, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are aggressively trying to contact people who recently visited Yosemite and could be at risk.”